Detailed 2024 Miata MX-5 ND3 Review in Stunning Soul Crystal Red

Join us as we embark on an exhilarating review through the intricacies of Mazda's latest MX-5, blending performance, style, and innovation. From its eye-catching Soul Red Crystal exterior to its finely-tuned mechanics, every aspect of the Miata MX-5 promises a driving experience like no other.
In this comprehensive review, we leave no stone unturned, delving into the key features that make the 2024 Miata MX-5 a standout choice for enthusiasts and casual drivers alike. From its agile handling to its responsive steering, we explore how Mazda has perfected the art of driving dynamics, delivering a ride that's both exhilarating and refined.
But it's not just about what's under the 181 HP 2.0 4 cylinder N/A hood - we take a closer look at the interior craftsmanship and technology that elevates the driving experience to new heights. From the new materials to the intuitive new 8.8 inch Apple CarPlay enabled infotainment system, every detail is designed with the driver in mind, creating a cockpit that's both modern and functional.
Of course, no review would be complete without putting the Miata MX-5 through its paces on the open road. Join us as we unleash its full potential, pushing it to the limit a few times and experiencing firsthand the balanced and fun handling that comes with every twist and turn.
But beyond its performance on the road, we also delve into the ethos of Driven Productions - a channel dedicated not just to cars, but to the passion and community that surrounds them. From our humble beginnings to thie monumental milestone of hitting 10K subs this year, we reflect on the journey so far and express our heartfelt gratitude to each and every one of our subscribers who have supported us along the way.
So whether you're a seasoned enthusiast or simply appreciate the thrill of the drive, join us as we a review the 2024 Miata MX-5 itself. Sit back, buckle up, and let's hit the road together with Driven Productions!
0:00 - 4:24 Introduction
4:25 - 14:36 Owner Thoughts & Discussion
14:37 -20:26 Roof Demonstration & Interior
20:27 - 22:24 Engine & Wheels
22:25 - 38:38 POV Drive
38:39 - Conclusion

[@jrms60r]

I totally understand what the owner says about the M2. I own a Camaro SS 1LE when is a total machine but the limits are so high that like he said you have to drive it angry to have any fun. The limits are too high for the street. I now own a ND Miata and enjoy every second I drive this car.

[@sevenmarc]

Heck yeah!!

[@hillbillysportsman5818]

Love my Miata….. had plenty of higher horsepower cars…

[@HashMaster1776]

I disagree… I think the SS 1LE or not, is fine for the street, limits as in how fast it can go.. yeah it’s a machine… but you can virtually utilize all that HP on the street with the correct tire setup, and skill set. I owned a 2013 SS 1LE, back in the day. Pretty sluggish feeling for a car with over 400 HP to the crank.

[@KpT10790]

I've had a wide range of cars, including both a 2016 ND1 MX-5 Club and a 2017 SS 1LE and I can say that the Miata is still by far the best bang for the buck and is the easiest to live with cost wise but I would recommend it as a second car (as in you have a daily driver + an MX-5) due to the lack of space/storage.

[@cptndave1]

@@KpT10790 mines a daily. Depends on what you need to carry to and from work I guess wouldn’t work for a tradesman😂. Having said that how many SUV’s go to and from work with one person and a brief case.

[@JustinHEMI05]

Whoa, that guy nailed why I got out of my 2023 M2 and am now in a 2024 MX5.

[@Driven-Productions]

Those “do you care” speeding tickets will do it.

[@EluciaDeLuteIma]

I was in the same situation. Had a gt350 now in a ND2.

[@sunnyvalentino]

Out of a Shelby GT350 and before that BMW M6, ND3 club on order. Done w beastly sports cars, drove GR86 and reminded me of what driving purity of the 1990s Japanese sportscars was

[@EluciaDeLuteIma]

Oh shit no way I sold my GT350 last year for a ND2 GT. Interior was definitely on another level on the mazda.

[@paulm3033]

Almost the same with me , had a succession of mercedes and most recently a BMW 630i coupe but the Mx5 is definitely the most fun. Sporty, light, and therefore pretty quick ,I've got 2 litre RF auto and get 42 mpg overall and it looks amazing, roof up or down .

[@goodboi1232]

I’ve never driven a manual before, but me and my dad decided to test drive one. I immediately got it on the first try and stalled only 1 once entire test drive, the clutch feels awesome!!

[@allimikej]

I’ve had my 2019 RF club since new. I daily drive the car and it still makes me smile every time I drive it! Even in the winter. The best part is the value. 34 mpg city . I’ve had people ask me if it is a Lotus , Maserati, or the big question … what kind of car is this. I will drive it until it falls to pieces. I hope you enjoy yours as much as I do.

[@bensegal8134]

Actually, a 2 week road trip is definitely possible in this car. Many moons ago, my wife and I did a 2 road week trip in a Honda S2000. We made it work, no problem. A 2 week road trip is definitely doable in the MX-5 if you pack light and right! 👍🏻

[@cptndave1]

I’m just so happy with Mazda for keeping this car real. There’s simply no competition in the same price bracket.

[@smkunder1]

Fantastic video, I am currently in the shopping mode.

[@hardrider55]

Purchased my first 2024 MX-5 GT Convertible you guys are hitting it on the head, there is a great sense of speed and the feedback the Miata gives is akin to go kart racing. The ease at which the Miata leads into and out of corners is just fun, it has made the ordinary right hand turn into an adventure, throttle off, down shift to second, point and shoot. The clutch release point will mellow out after about 1500 miles.

[@Driven-Productions]

Thanks for watching and sharing that. Glad Stefan and I made some content that resonated with some of you. Many other reviews similar style to check out if you have some free time. 👊

[@gwpeoples]

Just bought a 2020 RF Club with no options. I also own a Mazda 3 in the top trim so I had a rough idea of what I'd be missing out on feature wise. Happy to say I don't feel like I'm missing out. The adaptive headlights would probably be essential if I was driving a lot at night in Appalachia, but where I am I don't need them haha. And Mazda's rain sensing wipers (at least the ones on my 3) are kinda crap anyway. I would have loved the Recaro seats and BBS wheels, but for the price I paid I feel like I got a really good deal. I wanted a hard top for the cheapest price I could find and that's what I got. Overall, 5/5 awesome car that was supposed to be my weekend car but has turned into my daily.

[@bengeist3227]

Excellent interview.

[@MackFlyingV]

Nice review. I think I need one.

[@jasondixon9095]

Love my 2021 RF mx5 fun car it will be a classic vehicle

[@carl4737]

NA is the spirit of the car, minimalism, simple, light

[@le0redd104]

All Miatas are lol

[@Driven-Productions]

Well I hear you there but sure would be cool if Mazda would offer a Mazdaspeed package with a little factory turbo that bumped it to 220 HP, and that became like a “Clubsport” package. I know aftermarket community offers these but then you lose your warranty and like I said in the review two steps forward one step back when modifying.

[@impreza0109]

agreed. FI would add a LOT of cost, weight, complexity, different suspension tuning, etc. if a few individuals wanted a turbo, there's the aftermarket.

[@sevenmarc]

@@le0redd104heck yeah they are.. can’t stop laughing when driving! 😅

[@gwpeoples]

The ND3 soft top is

[@arricammarques1955]

Sound review, mate. Sold!

[@stephenbacks3100]

I’ve been daily driving a black 2018 GT with a cherry red roof for 4 years now, and I still love it. I do have a custom Remus exhaust that gives it a better sound without being obnoxious. I also have the small tail spoiler. I absolutely love the six speed manual, and I wouldn’t even consider an automatic. I had a 99 Nb with a horrible automatic (my late wife couldn’t drive a manual), and the transmission makes all the difference.

[@Driven-Productions]

Thanks for sharing. Sounds like a fun ride to me.

[@leebertrand9260]

Thank you for the good information.

[@Driven-Productions]

Our pleasure thanks for watching and commenting.

[@user-cj7dv2kc6d]

Nice collection there... And nice garage. Everything scratches easily... including the paint.

[@Driven-Productions]

Thank you and appreciate you watching and commenting. The garage was a long vision of mine took a lot longer to achieve it than I had planned but worth it in the end.

[@wackit6756]

I can identify with the statement about powerful vs tame. This weekend I drove my '21' Miata at the Coast all day, going thru the gears at high RPM and through the canyons, never breaking the speed limit but it sure felt like it. Next day I drove my '21' Supra and on a long on-ramp punched it and went a speed that had three digits for only a a few seconds. (No other cars around). It happened in a matter of a few seconds, but I felt bad about being so dangerous. (Again no other cars around). The Mazda is way safer, fun and it feels fast, satisfying and mechanically involved. That '24' is beautiful! ✌️

[@airlaurian]

beautiful Miata….. Please, what is the phone holder/charger you have there? thnx

[@dlg5485]

My ND3 GT soft top manual is arriving in a couple weeks and I can't wait! I previously owned a early ND for a couple years and I deeply regret selling it, so this ND3 will be forever. Soul red is a beautiful color, but it's not for me...too attention grabbing. I ordered mine in machine gray, which is very similar to soul red in depth, but it stays under the radar, which is more my style. I am in total agreement about overpowered sports cars that can't be utilized anywhere on public roads. To me, the Miata is the perfect sports car for back road driving and that's where I spend my time. I also think the GT makes more sense than the Club, especially for a daily driver. I want the comfort and tech features that you can't get on the Club. If you want better brakes, etc the after market is full of upgrades for these cars.

[@Driven-Productions]

Thanks for sharing! You’re spot on almost whatever your heart desires the aftermarket world will deliver the goods, and quite affordably too. Safe travels with that new ND coming soon.

[@vtwintora]

I should be getting mine pretty soon.🤞 Same colour, soft top. Standard. leather seats and all😃 Canada.

[@stevenhoe451]

Really nice car sir...

[@carlosbrigett2574]

I forgot to add something. It has a progressive clutch, meaning starting in 1st and reverse the clutch engages at the bottom of travel and all other gears at the top of travel. Also, the MPG in my 2023 has been 44.2 mpg after driving highway and city over a 3 1/2-hour tour time from Columbia, SC to Myrtle Beach.

[@Sideways_Singh]

Thats crazy the usa still doesnt have auto headlights thats a huge safety issue, in canada they been required by law for many years now. For me club with recaro, bbs, brembo is a must, u can easily add the turning headlights for cheap n sell ur old ones, n thats the only thing in the gt that I might want, I have been living with the regular headlights for a while tho and have no issue with em. The club also has a front strut bar, the bilstein suspension and lsd they also added to the gt now, also the club doesnt have the ugly shark fin on the trunk and the rf has the body color roof. This engine needs premium fuel the engine is pretty advanced if u dont add it u will get less power and mpg, the tech in mazdas engine is pretty amazing n this isnt even there newest tech, theres some tech in there that makes it use a similar amount of fuel when ur full throttle and when ur just cruising its actually epic. I drive completely full throttle for the whole tank for hours n I'll still get 27 mpg which is actually better then what its rated as on the epa in the city and close to what u would get cruising in the city. Its actually epic, n a massive bonus not having to fill up all the time n have range anxiety when driving hard in the twisties without alot of gas stations around. Also hell no the turbo would single handedly ruin the whole car for me and it would require a engine swap for me to own it, it would ruin the soul n the sound of the car, with a gwr race exhaust it sounds epic, theres even a sound tube mod which gives it a epic GT4RS like intake sound. Theres a bbr 220 kit that gives it 220hp n revs to 8000 rpm or u can get headers, exhaust, tune n get 220hp, n then u can decide if u want a supercharger or turbo or n.a. n get up to 300+ if u want.

[@iisimplicity]

i’ve had 3 miata NBs including one mazdaspeed within those three. have always wanted a bmw m2. got the g87 m2 …love it but i miss the miata for what it is. will be selling my m2 and getting an nd3 soon

[@dannyphamous]

I would love a spirit Mazda 3 to complement my ND2 miata

[@carlosbrigett2574]

I don't know where these guys are in the states, but here in South Carolina we have 93 octane and I'm getting a constant 39~43.2 mpg. That's a combination of highway and city. The compression ratio is 13 to 1 in the ND2's.

[@lecruset]

Beautiful neighborhood.

[@stephenbacks3100]

The GT also has more padding in the roof, which helps with sound deadening, and probably with A/C efficiency, which is necessary in South Florida. It’s good looking enough that valets often park it out front. That’s impressive in the Miami area, where Ferraris and Lamborghinis are everyday occurrences.

[@DL-wm7uc]

Really scenic drive. Which city is it?

[@Driven-Productions]

One of the most scenic states in the union, Nashville, TN. Specifically this is south of Nashville about an hour outside closer to Columbia/Eagleville, TN. This area is one big rain forest now with the amount of rain we have been consistently getting for years now.

[@phillipyau4234]

Hey what's happening awesome Mazda it's easy to park that car 🚗 no need to worry about blocking anyone drive way

[@rubberducky6411]

Any tricks to keep the thin paint from chips /dings ....ceramic coating is a thing for older cars but will it adhere to a newer vehicle?

[@Driven-Productions]

Paint Protection Film like Xpel and others. You can apply yourself or get a “track” application to cover the key areas professionally. Ceramic coating protects against UV damage and helps reply water/bugs/dirts but will not protect against scratches or rock chips from my experience.

[@tykebe]

@<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="1063">17:43</a> what charger is that?

[@mfengel2367]

love my 2020

[@stephenbacks3100]

I average about 26.5 in town, but I’ve hyper miled to 41 mpg on a road trip.

[@alphabeta8403]

<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="1560">26:00</a> Driving nirvana <a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="2100">35:00</a> Great when stock <a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="2320">38:40</a> Hard to beat for $35k

[@wsimon1800]

Nice video, glad to know about the differences between club and gt you guys mentioned in the video, not too many videos point out those. Currently considering between the club with bbr package or the gt trim. I want to try out the recaro seat myself but the problem is that bbr package has no stock in my area. The salesman told me the bbr package required special order so it has to be preordered one and wait for 2-3 months.

[@Driven-Productions]

Thanks for watching and comment. So what you leaning towards? Club or GT?

[@wsimon1800]

@@Driven-Productions gonna go for the club with BBR package, heard about the leather seat from the gt not being very good for back support.

[@Driven-Productions]

@@wsimon1800 would be my pick

[@wbj2000]

Is it just me or does it resemble Lightening McQueen. 🤣 Love the paint.

[@Driven-Productions]

Yep

[@gregthomson7889]

People complain about the sound of the exhaust but remember the engine has a sweet sound and if you put a loud exhaust on it you will no longer hear the engine.

[@7361biker]

😂😂😂, I just Sold my M2 Comp and bought a Miata Club. 😊

[@sevenmarc]

One of us! In loving this car. Hope you are too!

[@BFord-ho3pq]

I have an ND and a 996 Turbo. The ND is hands-down more fun to drive 95% of the time. It's that 5% of the time when you want a rock-solid German-engineered, dangerous machine to test your limits. Great car, but this is why the Porsche almost never gets driven and the Mazda does. That said, I wouldn't get rid of either one.

[@DragonKnightX12]

A little turbo or a supercharger would probably do great for the Miata. Or if they revised the engine to make 240hp NA like the old Honda S20.

[@reesbear]

I recently lost a bunch of weight and my ND got bigger and much faster. It is really sensitive to weight.

[@peterlewis3540]

Even though the new ND3 changes are minimal, larger infotainment screen, faster steering, etc, and a fairly acceptable price increase. It still represents remarkable value, considering most vehicles are getting larger, heavier, and moving away from ICE power. Just look at the rather expensive MG Zyberster, hardly bargain priced, limited range,. and rather heavy in comparison to the MX5. The Miata is still the answer, for fairly affordable driving fun, and until Mazda ruin the next generation NE model, by going mild hybrid, with some sort of heavy battery pack. I own a 2021 Sport Venture edition, with the delightful 1.5L engine, which has more than enough zip for driving fun. LUV it to bits a totally brilliant involving car to drive, and its cheap to run.

[@Driven-Productions]

I agree. Thanks for watching and sharing that. All the best

[@crooksight]

Not the experience I had with Nelson Mazda in Franklin Tennessee they stink, never go back again !

[@Driven-Productions]

Sorry to hear that but thanks for sharing. Appreciate any more color you can share with the community here as to what happened to give you such a negative experience.

[@crooksight]

Nelson sales team Want to play games , case in point they wouldn’t recognize my qualifications for military discount even after I showed my DD214 & said …it’s only a few $s a month more. I had been to a total of 3 dealers before I found Wyatt Johnson in Clarksville . Got the respect & deal I looked for. Absolutely love my 23sport mx5

[@tomjohnson5700]

The red is nice but for me it isn't 600 dollars nice.

[@jamieferrara6456]

You have the a/c on

[@cptndave1]

Really does seem to make a difference on mine.

[@sevenmarc]

That was intentional.. it was pretty warm that day! 😅

[@le0redd104]

Is this title misleading? ND only comes in 2.0 not 3.0

[@Driven-Productions]

Ah it’s the refreshed “3.0” version of the 4th gen ND. Sure wish they would put a 3.0 liter engine in it though.

[@DragonKnightX12]

It's referring the refreshes. ND2 came out in 2019 with a revised engine and transmission. ND3 here has a revised suspension and upgraded LSD.

[@sachemrock]

A you care ticket….what is that?

[@Saboda53]

You don’t “get” what the Miata’s all about. It’s not a “let’s see what she’s got” kinda car. Find yourself a Hellcat or a Mustang somewhere. Sheesh.

[@Driven-Productions]

Ah maybe watch more than just the opening run out scene my man. I’m an MX-5 owner and speak on the ethos of the car throughout. Having said that nothing against Mustang’s either really loved my GT350R.

[@basharathussain5999]

Sky active engine not reliable

[@Driven-Productions]

Really? Had not heard that have a link to an article or video?

[@merica7050]

It’s reliable.

[@kremp1834]

​@@Driven-Productions they are probably referring to the early versions of skyactiv G. Some had issues but they were resolved relatively quickly, one of the most notorious was the "NC1" miatas engine.

[@DragonKnightX12]

Wdym? Mazda is rated higher than even Toyota in reliability.